[EDITING] The Legend of Zelda: Goddess of Secrecy

Dungeon Chapter 61 - To Higher Levels

...the platform began to rise. It was a little dizzying watching the rise outside of his body, but Link didn't want to waste time testing the mechanics of the elevator to see if it would continue to go up without his input.

Eventually, Link heard a click and the gate began to move. When he extended his mind to push the elevator on, it didn't budge. When he let go of control over the platform, he saw the landing they'd left behind, along with the remainder of his companions.

Chop and Slash looked beside themselves as Hack stepped off. Endeavor was keeping her face incredibly neutral, though it looked a lot more pleasant compared to Princess's scowl.

"I told you they would be fine," Endeavor stated coolly, though this seemed to do little for the mood.

Behind them, the cluster had cleared. It left behind another massive stone water wheel, but this one wasn't turning. While the river seemed to be flowing freely and clearing out the courtyard, the wheel itself was held in place by a massive golden lock.

The others didn't seem hurt, but Princess was still less than pleased as Link stepped off the elevator to join them. The anxiety was returning, and he dodged the incoming fan more from the nerves than anything else. This only enraged Princess further. She puffed herself up to her full height, at least a head over Link even with the ears. "What did you think you were doing?"

"We were—I was—the cluster," Link managed as he stared back up at Princess. "That was blocking the wheel, it went in there." He pointed back over his shoulder. He'd been the first one up here, she couldn't prove he was lying, but it still sat poorly in his stomach. He was sure she could tell.

"And so you ran off?" Princess asked.

"I don't answer to you, Princess," Link replied weakly, sure his ears weren't helping.

"Oh, ho, ho, dear, that's where you're wrong. If you plan to stay in Underborough or Cleff, it's in your best interest to listen to me." Her tusks were getting uncomfortably close. "And since I'm the one keeping us alive in here, what I say, goes."

"You cannot threaten safe haven to someone risking their life just as much as you are, Princess," Endeavor said.

"Oi, and he saved me life, he did!" Hack shouted, running up to Princess as if their height difference meant nothing. Princess was not pleased by the mutiny in her entourage, and glared at Hack to back down. Hack had decided she'd seen much worse. She folded her arms and pushed out her chest. "You ain't scary, Princess. Not scarier than what was down there."

"And what was down there?" Princess asked.

"The thing that makes the voice, the one that's been takin' folks away," Hack answered, a shiver running down her spine large enough Link could see her shudder. She straightened herself back up. "And he killed it. And I helped! But it's dead cause o' him."

At this, Princess paused before turning to give Link another scanning look. She looked back at Hack for a moment, before the anger melted and only her blistering confidence returned. "I knew you were special! But don't scare me like that. If I'd known you were running off to do something so brave, it would be different. The Hero would be proud."

She again pat him on the head and Link had to bite his cheek to keep from his face dropping. While he didn't have the confidence to say anything, he was getting a little tired of putting up with Princess. Particularly when it wasn't fully overconfident of her to say she had been keeping them alive, even if it wasn't the way she thought she was. But that may have also been the looming threat of her figuring out who she was actually talking too.